Security Using Physical Objects

• US 20070300307A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: DUNCAN
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation

Abstract

A password-type security system may be employed using the placement of physical objects as a security pattern that is to be matched before access to secured content is granted. The system may be implemented on a computing system that uses a display that can detect, e.g., via optical circuitry, the visual characteristics of the display surface. The system can visually detect the placement of objects, their orientations, locations, color, printed patterns, etc. The user may define a security pattern as comprising one or more objects placed at locations on the screen, or at a predetermined rotation angle. The outline shape of an object may be treated as a required pattern, such that access to secured content is permitted only if the object having that outline shape is detected on the display surface. Similarly, printed patterns on objects may also be detected and used as part of security patterns.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to secured content in a computing system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a user request to create a security pattern to restrict access to content;

prompting the user to place one or more security objects against a display of the computer system;

detecting an outline shape of a security object placed against the display; and

recording the outline shape as a security pattern to restrict future access to the content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to access the restricted content;

prompting the access-requesting user to provide the security pattern for the content;

scanning one or more objects placed against the display in response to the prompting of the access-requesting user; and

granting access to the content if the recorded outline shape is detected in the step of scanning.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting an interior pattern of the security object placed against the display; and

recording the interior pattern with the security pattern to restrict future access to the content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of the security object placed against the display; and

recording the detected position with the security pattern to restrict future access to the content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a rotation orientation of the security object placed against the display; and

recording the detected rotation orientation with the security pattern to restrict future access to the content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting one or more additional objects placed against the display;

providing the user with an option of excluding the detected one or more additional objects from the security pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a position, rotation orientation, and interior pattern of the security object placed against the display; and

offering the user an option of selecting one or more of said position, rotation orientation and interior pattern for inclusion in said security pattern.

9. A method of controlling access to secured content, comprising the steps of:

receiving a user request to create a security pattern to restrict access to content;

prompting the user to place one or more security objects against a display of the computer system;

detecting the placement of a plurality of objects against said display after said prompting;

displaying an attribute menu adjacent to each of said plurality of objects, wherein said menu offers the user the options of ignoring the adjacent object in the security pattern and including one or more detected attributes of the adjacent object in the security pattern.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more detected attributes include an angle of rotation of an object.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more detected attributes include position location information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more detected attributes include interior pattern information.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of offering the user an option of specifying a granularity to permit margin of error in satisfying the security pattern.

14. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving a user request to access restricted content;

prompting said user to place a plurality of objects on top of a tabletop display in a predefined security pattern;

causing said tabletop display to scan the display'"'"'s surface and detect objects placed thereon;

determining whether said security pattern is satisfied by said plurality of objects; and

granting access to said restricted content if said security pattern is satisfied.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein said security pattern identifies one or more positions on said tabletop display where one or more of said plurality of objects must be to satisfy the security pattern.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein said one or more positions are relative positions among said plurality of objects.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein said security pattern identifies one or more outline shapes that one or more of said plurality of objects must have to satisfy the security pattern.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein said security pattern identifies one or more rotational orientations that one or more of said plurality of objects must have to satisfy the security pattern.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein said security pattern identifies one or more interior visual patterns that one or more of said plurality of objects must have to satisfy the security pattern.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein said security pattern identifies one or more rotational orientations that one or more of said plurality of objects must have, or one or more positions on said tabletop display where one or more of said plurality of objects must be, in order to satisfy the security pattern, and wherein said security pattern identifies a granularity value that allows users a margin of error in satisfying the security pattern.